Assessing communicative competence in Spanish as a foreign language courses

Abstract

Objective: To examine the theoretical assumptions that enable teachers to understand and implement procedures to assess students' communication skills based on Common European Framework of Reference for Languages as viewed in Spanish as a Foreign Language (ELE) courses at the University of Oriente in Santiago de Cuba.

Methods: The researchers used a hermeneutic‐dialectical approach that allows the identification and interpretation of contradictions arising among teachers when assessing the communicative competence of non‐Spanish speakers’ student, which affects the teaching‐learning process of Spanish as a foreign language.

Results: Description of a logic set of references for the evaluation of communicative competence in the ELE courses of the University of Oriente.

Conclusions: The methodological guidelines for the integral practice of evaluation in Spanish as foreign language courses demand a reflexive, critical and integrating didactic action on the part of the teacher, focused on communicative skills corresponding to students’ mastery level of foreign language.